So - after many years of looking into this, trying to get a job *there* while i'm still *here* i decided to just move and hope to find a job when i get there. It's not going to be easy, but i have to do this. I keep telling myself that my grandparents and great grandparents made a much more difficult move from Poland/Ukraine to USA way back when with much much less (less money, less resources, less education) and they did OK so I should be OK too.

Anyway, assuming that I will find a job in Manhattan, what would be the best neighborhoods for me to live in? I am looking for:*safe (safe enough for a middle aged woman to live alone - DS may or may not move with me)*close to subway or train (trains are nicer but subway is cheaper )*up to one hour commute (some walking is fine).*convenient for shopping (eating out is less important to me)

I would like a one or two bedroom - depending on if DS moves with me. at 54, i think i'm past the age of studio apartment and roommates, though if i had to choose one or the other i'd rather take a smaller place/studio than find a roommate.

I am thinking of brooklyn/queens (rego park, sunnyside, prospect heights, greenpoint etc), could look at washington heights or other areas of northern manhattan, but need to know which would be the best option for me in terms of vicinity, safety, price. I could look at NJ suburbs or LI but what i've seen so far is expensive and the commute (train) would be more expensive as well.

Any ideas would be helpful. my budget is very very low so i'm hoping not to spend more than 1500-2000 on housing.

My son lives in Brooklyn. I've visited and have ridden the subways by myself. Even though it's a long hour ride to get to manhattan, I liked the Bay Ridge area. It's diverse and has a great neighborhood feel.He used to live at the edge of Williamsburg and enjoyed it there too.

I don't live there, but from what I have been reading, The Bronx is the latest up and coming area. It seems like it would be a great place to live, with its proximity to Manhattan. Like I said, no expert here, but if I were contemplating a NYC relocation, that is definitely one of the first places I would check into.

I'm from the Bronx and can say it gets a bad rap from anyone who doesn't really know it, but I can't recommend it enough if you want safe, affordable and easy commute to Manhattan. There's the subway and also express bus service and local taxi service for nighttime if you don't like taking the train at night. Pelham Bay is a great neighborhood and has everything you are looking for. It's not "hip" like Brooklyn or Queens but it's affordable and if you have a car, so convenient to travel north or south. With a car I'm 20 minutes from NJ, Manhattan, Connecticut, Long Island which is great for weekend travel options, sightseeing, shopping variety. Here's a recent feature from the NYTimes about the neighborhood. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/realestate/pelham-bay-the-bronx-a-blend-of-urban-and-suburban.html?_r=0

I live in Bay Ridge (3 yrs), love it, and think the commute is worth it. It's safe, with tons of restaurants and amenities including a great pedestrian walkway along the water. You can find housing in your price range here for sure. (Oh! We also have several nice large grocery stores and small ones sprinkled everywhere. And a large department store and other shops on 86 street.)

I lived as a single woman in Sunnyside, Queens (the 7 train) and in Washington Heights, Manhattan (A train at 190th street). I felt very comfortable in both places.

When we left NY in 2009, the "top of the hill" at Washington Heights (181st Street - 192nd Street, from Broadway west to the river) was getting quite expensive. The bottom of the hill - Broadway stretching east and north aka "Dyckman Valley" into Inwood was still affordable, which means it had a mix of desirable and less-desirable areas. It's worth a look.

Although I live in a different area of Brooklyn, I recommend Bay Ridge. There's plenty of ethnic diversity which results in great food shopping and restaurants. 86th St is good for shopping in general and the strip park along the harbor has spectacular views.

I'd like to recommend my own neighborhood but real estate prices are absolutely insane. It was just on the bounce back when we bought our co-op in 1982. Restaurants and food shop prices are still good but we could never afford to move here today.

Although I live in a different area of Brooklyn, I recommend Bay Ridge. There's plenty of ethnic diversity which results in great food shopping and restaurants. 86th St is good for shopping in general and the strip park along the harbor has spectacular views.

I'd like to recommend my own neighborhood but real estate prices are absolutely insane. It was just on the bounce back when we bought our co-op in 1982. Restaurants and food shop prices are still good but we could never afford to move here today.

thanks, i'm looking. (google-mapped 86th street and found the house i'm going to buy when i can afford it )

My last apartment in NYC was in Bay Ridge, as well. I lived alone, single woman, and always felt very safe. Previously I had lived in Park Slope, and Forest Hills (Queens). In Forest Hills my friend and I shared a two-bedroom townhouse-style condo, on a very quiet street, and I was able to park my car right in front of my home on the street. However, the particular part of Forest Hills I lived in was purely residential - very few restaurants and such. Park Slope had much more to do/eat/see, but I would imagine it is *really* expensive by now - my friend, my brother, and I shared a three-BR apartment in a row home that was $1950/month in 1998. My apartment in Bay Ridge was only a studio but it was a really nice one and the area had plenty of restaurants, shops, etc. Good luck!